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Atomic resolution and study of surface morphology of HgBaCuO single crystals by scanning probe methods
Author(s) -
Hubler U.,
Hermann B. A.,
Lang H. P.,
Karpinski J.,
Güntherodt H.J.
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
surface and interface analysis
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.52
H-Index - 90
eISSN - 1096-9918
pISSN - 0142-2421
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1096-9918(199905/06)27:5/6<521::aid-sia520>3.0.co;2-f
Subject(s) - atomic units , scanning tunneling microscope , crucible (geodemography) , argon , chemistry , crystallographic defect , single crystal , crystal (programming language) , bending , crystallography , materials science , molecular physics , chemical physics , nanotechnology , composite material , physics , computational chemistry , organic chemistry , quantum mechanics , computer science , programming language
Superconducing HgBa 2 CuO 4+ x single crystals grown in an Al 2 O 3 crucibleusing a high‐pressure furnace (argon pressure=10.1kbar) show a clean and smooth surface. Investigations byscanning tunnelling (STM), scanning force (SFM)and friction force (FFM) microscopies reveal an atomicallyflat surface with steps ∽4 nm high in the [001]direction. At the surface, particles are observed that may have beencaused by ageing under ambient conditions. These particles exhibit acontrast reversal in FFM images, implying that they consist of adifferent material than the underlying matrix. Occasionally, freestep‐flow during crystal growth is hindered by atomic pointdefects, resulting in local step bending. Such processes may explainthe micrometre‐sized indents found along the steps. On anatomic scale, STM measurements reveal an approximately square atomiclattice ( a =4.0–4.4 Å) and anunexpected domain structure with edge dislocations and point defects.Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.